Ben RaddingZepp Baseball-Softball 2 KitThe Zepp Baseball-Softball 2 Kit is a sensor that mounts on your bat and works with an app to deliver accurate swing analysis and recommendations to your phone. It's a worthy investment for anyone looking for a better swing.

The Zepp Baseball-Softball 2 Kit is a sensor that mounts on your bat and works with an app to deliver accurate swing analysis and recommendations to your phone. It's a worthy investment for anyone looking for a better swing.

The Zepp Baseball-Softball 2 Kit ($149.99) is a small sensor and mount that you attach to the end of a baseball bat. It connects to your smartphone to deliver real-time analysis of your swing, recommend training plans, and supply you with dozens of tutorials and videos. It even compares your results with those of the pros. Setup is mostly simple, and it provided fast, accurate results in testing. It's a great device if you're looking to up to improve your swing without shelling out cash for an actual coach.

DesignThe sensor is a small, neon green disk, about the circumference of a quarter and 0.4-inch thick. There's a black strip across the top, with a small magnet on either side for attaching it to the included charger. The sensor works for up to eight hours before needing a charge. A white status LED sits in the middle of the strip, with a power button below.

You have to place the sensor in a neon green rubber mount in order to attach it to a baseball bat. The mount is about 1.25-inches tall, and wraps around the base of the bat. One end of the mount holds the sensor, and the other wraps around the bat. In order to keep the sensor secure while swinging the bat around, the fit of the rubber mount is very tight. It can be difficult to fit the sensor into the mount, and the mount onto your bat. It took me some time and no small amount of force to get both pieces in place.

Setup and AppAfter you attach the sensor and mount to your bat, setup is fairly simple. You have to download and open the free Zepp Baseball & Softball Swing Analyzer app, which is available on Android and iOS. You'll be prompted to enter your email address and create a password in order to create an account, after which you need to fill out a profile. The profile includes your sport (baseball or softball), gender, height, weight, dominant hand, and preferred bat. Once your profile is complete, you're ready to pair the app with the sensor. Press the power button on the sensor, and the app will pair with it automatically via Bluetooth.

Once paired, the app will then ask you to calibrate your stance. This requires you to assume your normal batting stance with the bat in hand, as the sensor measures your position. It only takes a few seconds, after which you're ready to start swinging.

There are lots of options in the Zepp app to take your swing to the next level. The first tab is the Smart Coach, where you can view your training plans, have the app provide you with a recommended focus, and start recording your season. The next tab includes 3D Swing Analysis, Video Swing Analysis (you'll need someone to record you for this), and Instant Evaluation (where you take three to 10 swings and get a recommended plan to improve). The third tab has video tutorials from MLB pros like Mike Trout and David Ortiz, and pro softball players, like Jennie Finch. You also get dozens of instructional videos, and can compare your results with the pros. The next tab is a social feed where you can record and share your swing with others. And the final tab is your profile, where you can change your settings and take a quick glance at your results.

PerformanceI haven't played baseball since I was a kid, so I hit up a local batting cage with some trepidation. I fired up the app and loaded the 3D Swing Analysis. As you can see in the image above, the app produced a neat 3D image of my swing. You can press and hold the image to rotate it for a full 360-degree view. The sensor recorded my swing almost immediately, even noting (in red) where the bat connected with the ball.

Next I tried Instant Evaluation. I took 10 swings in quick succession, and each swing was recorded in the app. I was then provided with metrics for bat speed, hand speed, time to impact, bat vertical angle, and attack angle. I had a decent uppercut, with a -22-degree bat angle, but I was slightly slow with a 40mph swing, and my hand speed needed a lot of work, at 22mph. The app recommended a training plan to improve my short swing. The plan popped up on the main screen, and includes a video tutorial of what a short swing is (swinging while keeping your hands closer to the oncoming baseball) and how to master it. There are a list of drills you can do, such as the Reverse Grip Drill, which is where you hold the bat with your top hand placed backwards. When you tap Practice Drill, you get step-by-step instructions on what to do, and afterwards you receive feedback on how well you did and where you can improve.

To get an even better picture of how you're doing, you can get a full day's report. I took a total of 46 swings in the cage, with all the balls coming at me at the slower 50mph speed. My average bat speed was 40mph, which is a bit subpar; the app suggested I try to get to 45mph. But I had a good vertical angle at impact, at -15 degrees (the app would like me to get to -25 degrees, but it's still not a bad result). There are no specific actions or plans you can take on how to improve, say, your vertical angle at impact, but this overall snapshot is a useful way to see how you are doing.

I was feeling good until I looked at the stats for the pros. Apparently Mike Trout hits the ball at 92mph. And as you can see in the picture above, his swing is one fluid motion, while mine looks like a child trying to color within the lines. Using this feature, you can choose a specific swing of yours and a swing from a pro, and see the two play out in real-time, which is very cool.

ConclusionsThe Zepp Baseball-Softball 2 Kit is a fun way to analyze your swing, and get personalized feedback and training goals. It provides quick and accurate results, and the ability to compare yourself with the pros is a welcome one (if not exactly flattering). At $150 it doesn't come cheap, and it can be cumbersome to fit on your bat, but ultimately it's worth the price of admission if you're invested in becoming a better batter.

Zepp Baseball-Softball 2 Kit

Bottom Line: The Zepp Baseball-Softball 2 Kit is a sensor that mounts on your bat and works with an app to deliver accurate swing analysis and recommendations to your phone. It's a worthy investment for anyone looking for a better swing.

About the Author

Raised in the Midwest, Ben considers himself a generally nice guy. He went to NYU to study journalism and comparative literature, and went on to captain the NYU Fencing Team. Sabre, since you asked.
He came to PCMag after a stint at Men's Fitness magazine, where he tried to get totally jacked. He didn't. But he did find some time to review plent... See Full Bio

Zepp Baseball-Softball 2 Kit

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